John Manley of Boston, born circa 1733, was selected for command of schooner Lee 24 October 1775. As Captain of Lee, on 28 November he captured one of the most valuable prizes of the Revolutionary War—British brigantine Nancy carrying much ordnance and military stores for British troops in Boston that proved invaluable to Washington’s army. For his “great vigilance and industry,” Manley was appointed commodore in January 1776 of “Washington’s fleet,” a group of small armed ships fitted out by him to harass the British and to seize supply vessels. Commissioned captain in the Continental Navy 17 April 1776, he sailed in Hancock until the frigate and her prize, HMS frigate Fox, were taken in July 1777. Imprisoned in New York until March 1778, he then entered privateer service to command Marlborough, Cumberland, and a prize, HMS Jason, until 1782, except for two more periods of imprisonment, one for 2 years in Mill Prison, England. On 11 September 1782, he returned to the Navy with command of frigate Hague. On a West Indies voyage he made a spectacular escape from a superior naval force; and, in January 1783, took the last significant prize of the war, Baille. Regarded as one of the outstanding captains of the young Navy, he had captured 10 prizes singlehanded and participated in the seizure of five others. Captain Manley died in Boston in 1793.

Stern view of the damage caused by the accidental detonation of her depth charges, USS Manley (DD 74) at Queenstown, Ireland in 1918. Photo from the collection of Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

Darryl Baker

220k

NH 46654. March 19 1918, in drydock at Birkenhead, England for repairs from an accidental depth charge explosion.

Ed Zajkowski

117k

USS Manley (DD-74) in dry dock at Birkenhead, England, March 19, 1918. The Manley was involved in a collision with the cruiser H.M.S. Montague which caused depth bombs on her stern to explode. She was repaired and returned to service in December, 1918. Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 297.

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